Drift

🌊 Drift by Caryl Lewis: A Story That Stays With You

I listened to the audiobook of Drift by Caryl Lewis, the celebrated winner of the Wales Book of the Year in 2023, as it was the chosen Book of the Month for The Book Fairy Book Club. I’m not generally drawn to dystopian novels, which this is sometimes classified as, but I wanted to give it a chance—and I’m so glad I did. Beautifully narrated, the story captured my imagination and drew me into its world with a blend of lyricism and emotional depth.

The decision to listen to the audiobook was transformative. The narrator, Rebecca Trehearn, delivered a rich and heartfelt performance, perfectly capturing the lyrical quality of Caryl Lewis’s writing. The nuances of Welsh pronunciation added authenticity and drew me even deeper into the story. It felt as though I wasn’t just listening to a book but experiencing it firsthand. The use of Cymraeg (Welsh) to title chapters, alongside English and Arabic, added a layer of cultural depth, connecting the ancient and modern in a way that felt profound. Certain passages, filled with longing and quiet beauty, were especially poignant when spoken aloud. Despite the nearly seven-hour runtime, the audiobook flew by as I was swept along, carried as if on a wave by the rhythm of its storytelling.

Drift is magical and whimsical in the way its tale flows, lingering in your mind long after the final page—or in this case, the last word. Listening to the audiobook enriched my experience, adding a depth of feeling I might not have achieved from reading alone.